


Pynch Prompt Requests

by alteridemlynch



Category: Dreamer Trilogy - Maggie Stiefvater, Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Adam Parrish Loves Ronan Lynch, Boys In Love, Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Fluff, Idiots in Love, M/M, Ronan Lynch Loves Adam Parrish, Soft Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish, soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24600547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alteridemlynch/pseuds/alteridemlynch
Summary: Just a collection of prompts I receive from tumblr @alteridemlynch and in the comments. Feel free to suggest something!
Relationships: Ronan Lynch & Adam Parrish, Ronan Lynch/Adam Parrish
Comments: 12
Kudos: 120





	1. quit touching me

**from the prompt: quit touching me, your feet are cold.**

Adam was propped up in bed with his computer in his lap, his readers perched on his nose, and a incessant crease on his forehead. He was so close to being done with his thesis -- just a few more rounds of revisions -- and then he could finally get some sleep. Ronan lay beside him, reading a book, his eyes drifting every few sentences. 

It was only 10 o’clock at night, but it was Thursday, and both of them were wiped out from a full week of work (and the thought of one more day till the weekend). 

Ronan closed his book and stretched a hand out to gently rest it on Adam’s chest, rubbing small circles with his fingers. 

“Ro, stop,” Adam said.

Ronan did not stop. In fact, he increased the pressure of his hands, massaging Adam’s chest slightly. 

“Quit touching me, Lynch, I have to focus,” Adam said a moment later, though there was a small smile on his face as he moved Ronan’s hand off of him, not before pressing a gentle kiss to his knuckles.

Ronan just grumbled, the noise muffled by the pillow against his cheek. He watched as Adam worked, typing and reading and typing and backspacing and typing again. 

After about 5 minutes of that (Adam typing, and Ronan watching him sleepily), Ronan decided Adam had done enough work for the night and needed to sleep. He reached over and gently closed Adam’s laptop. “Ronan--”

“Come on, bed time,” the other man said, scooting closer. He leaned over Adam to place the computer on his bedside table, and then settled down next to him, their bodies pressed together. 

“Your feet are cold,” Adam mumbled, though he cuddled even closer to him. Ronan wrapped his arms around him, pressing a kiss to his forehead, and Adam maneuvered his head into the crook of Ronan’s neck. 

“There’s no way in hell I’m wearing socks to sleep, Parrish, so deal with it.” 

Ronan waited for a snarky comeback, but there was none -- he was already asleep. 


	2. Newlywed Mornings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request: lazy morning kisses before fully waking up, sleep-deep voices and warm skin. 
> 
> I took this prompt and well.....set it after their wedding night ;)

Ronan’s eyes fluttered open and he was briefly confused for a minute. This wasn’t the barns - the bed was white and soft and the walls were pastel and the sun shining through the curtains was too bright. 

Oh. Right.  
They weren’t in the Barns, but in a fancy hotel in downtown Boston. The hotel they were at because last night was their wedding. Where they got married. 

They got married.  
Right.  
Ronan sighed contently and rolled over to see his boyfriend--no, his husband--sleeping soundly, his mouth agape and arms flung in opposite directions. Ronan breathed in the sight of him -- his tan skin, his dusty hair, his soft lips--and smiled at the simple band wrapped around the finger on his left hand. He unconsciously twiddled his own matching ring.

Ronan leaned over and pressed a soft kiss against Adam’s hand, the gold band cool against his lips. Adam moved ever so slightly. “Morning,” Ronan smiled, his voice low and raspy, partly from the morning, and partly from the absurd amount of talking he had to do last night with various guests. He was not used to talking that much. 

“Mornin’,” Adam grumbled, his voice lazy and accent clear. His eyes were still shut -- he always took a while to fully wake up--but he turned his body inwards to face Ronan, wrapping their hands together. 

Ronan closed the distance between the two and pressed a gentle kiss on Adam’s forehead. The other man responded by tilting his head upwards to catch Ronan’s lips in his own, the kiss slow and languid, warm and familiar. 

“How’d you sleep?” Adam whispered, finally opening his eyes and smiling up at Ronan. He wrapped his arms around him, their skin warm and comforting against each other, and tucked his head against Ronan’s chest. 

“Better than ever,” Ronan said, and it was true. No nightmares, no monsters. Just pure, blissful sleep. Adam kissed the crook of his neck. “We’re married,” he breathed out, into Adam’s hair. 

“Yeah, we are.” Ronan could feel his breath against his naked chest. “I’m so, so happy, Ro,” Adam smiled, tilting up to catch Ronan’s mouth in another kiss. This one was still gentle and slow, but there was more energy in it, more passion. Adam pulled away a moment too soon for Ronan’s liking, a wicked smile on his face. “But I’d be happier if you let me sleep in just a bit later.” 

Ronan gave him a gentle slap and Adam laughed, dodging him, and soon enough they were rolling around on the bed, half play-fighting and half kissing. 

It was a wonderful morning.


	3. Taste Test

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> request: professional chef Ronan

“Okay….done,” Ronan said, wiping his hands on a towel and tossing it casually on the counter. It was a little past midnight, and they were in the kitchen of Ronan’s restaurant, which was finally, finally opening tomorrow night. The tables were set, the menus freshly printed, the glasses polished. All of his staff had been sent home about an hour ago, but Ronan had wanted to stay late and perfect one last recipe. Adam, of course, kept him company, having joined the pre-opening efforts around 6:30 after a full day at the firm. He was exhausted, but stayed with Ronan regardless. He know how important this was for him, how big it was. And he was so, so happy to be a part of it. 

“For real this time?” Adam asked, raising his eyebrows. He was sitting on the counter across from the stove Ronan was working at, his legs dangling over the edge.

“Yes, for real, Parrish,” Ronan grumbled, transferring the dish — spaghetti bolognese, Adam’s favorite — into two bowls. He’s been making this pasta for years now, but wanted to add something special, something new, for the restaurant. This final blend of spices and herbs, Ronan thinks, will be perfect. “Eat up,” he says, shoving the bowl towards him. 

“It’s almost 1am, Ronan, I’m not really hungry,” Adam laughs, though he’s already twirling a forkful of spaghetti. Ronan did the same, blowing on his own scoop of warm pasta. Both men took their bites. Adam nearly moaned in delight. “Wow, Ro, this is….it,” Adam said, his mouth full. 

“Yeah?” Ronan asked, though he knew it was true. He’d finally nailed it. 

“Yeah, it’s fucking delicious, oh my god,” Adam groaned as he shoveled another bite into his mouth. And then another. And another. 

“I thought you weren’t hungry?” Ronan teased. 

“Oh fuck off, Lynch. You can’t serve me a bowl of the best pasta ever and expect me not to finish it.” 

The two men laughed, both slurping their pasta and smiling giddily, despite the deep exhaustion running through both of their bodies. Adam had to be up at 6am tomorrow (he wanted to cry at the thought) and Ronan only two hours later. And then the opening, which would last well into the night. It would be a long week, but it would be worth it. 

“You have sauce all over your face,” Ronan smiled, setting down his bowl. He stepped in between Adam’s dangling lays and gently brought his finger to Adam’s face, scooping the smear of sauce onto it. He brought his finger to his lips and sucked carefully on the sauce now covering it, his eyes staring right into Adam’s.

“How do you make food so sexy?” Adam asked, a teasing smile on his face. He leaned in and kissed the other man, their arms wrapping around each other, hands in hair, breath warm. 

Both men were tired, but they stayed in the kitchen awhile longer.


	4. I haven't seen you in days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "nobody's seen you in days!" "Im worried about you!" Pynch angst 😈

Adam was lying down on his back under a car, arms tired and body sweaty from hours of work. He just had to finish this repair and then he’d be free to go home and sleep. Well, eat something, finish his homework, and then sleep.

After another ten minutes of fiddling with the underside of the car, Adam slid out from under, wiped the grease off his hands, and clocked out. “Night!” he called to Boyd, who was sitting in the office filing papers. Adam slung his backpack over his shoulder and headed outside into the cool night air.

Just as he reached into his pocket to grab his keys, he noticed another car in the parking lot.

A BMW.

Adam sucked in a deep breath and walked over to the car. Adam knocked on the passenger side window, making Ronan startle a little before unlocking the door.  
Adam slid into the seat and waited, neither boy really looking at each other.

Three days ago, Adam had gotten his acceptance letter to Harvard.  
Three days ago, Ronan had celebrated with him over a home cooked meal and night spent in bed at The Barns.  
Three days ago, Ronan had a nightmare about Adam moving away and never coming back.

After a painfully long silence, when it was apparent Ronan was not going to speak first, Adam sighed. “I haven’t seen you in days.”

“I know,” Ronan agreed quietly. Adam waited for him to say more, but he didn’t.

“Or heard from you.”

“I know, Parrish.” Still, nothing more from him.

“Gansey was really worried about you,” Adam finally said. “I was really worried about you . . . I still am.”

Ronan took a shaky breath and finally looked up at Adam. “I know, Adam. I’m sorry.” He fiddled with the bands on his wrist, his hands searching for something to do. So Adam reached out and took his hands in his own, twining their fingers together.

“I’m not gonna leave you,” Adam whispered. “I mean, I will, temporarily. But I’m coming back. I promise you, Ronan, I’m coming back.” Adam said this all the honesty and love in his heart. “I love you, Ronan. You know that.”

Ronan nodded shyly. “It didn’t feel real before the acceptance,” he admitted. “I knew you’d get in, of course, cause you’re fucking brilliant, but seeing that letter….knowing it’s happening….it’s just—“

“I know, Ronan, I know,” Adam said, squeezing his hands. Ronan brought their locked fingers to his mouth and placed a gentle kiss on Adam’s knuckles.

“I’m happy for you, Adam, I am. I’m so fucking happy for you. I just don’t know how I’m going to survive the next four years.” His voice was soft and timid, vulnerable and open—the side of Ronan Lynch that very few ever saw. It broke Adam’s heart.

“You’re going to visit, and I’m going to visit, and you’re going to use your fucking phone and FaceTime me and call me and text me. And it will be okay, Ro. We’ll be okay,” Adam assured him.

Ronan breathed out a sigh of relief, his deepest fear dissipating, and leaned over to kiss Adam, long and sweet, gentle and loving.

“I am going to leave this car right now because I, unlike you, have school tomorrow and homework to do,” Adam smiled. Ronan laughed but nodded, already feeling better. “Tamquam—“

“Alter idem,” Ronan finished as Adam opened the door and stepped out of the BMW to head to his own car.


	5. Adam's Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request: 'Distracting kisses from someone that are meant to stop the other person from finishing their work, and give them kisses instead.

It was a rare Tuesday when Adam miraculously had the day off and was able to relax at home--no patients, no kids, no cleaning, nothing--but Ronan still had work to do around the Barns.

Ronan woke up early, as he always did, and tended to the fields and the animals all morning. And as Adam always did, he got the kids ready for school, made breakfast, and sent them off for the day with lunches Ronan had packed the night before. 

Usually, Adam would rush to work right after the kids left, but not today. Today, he leisurely made himself breakfast, read the paper, and poured himself a second cup of coffee. 

After relaxing on the couch for an hour or so, Adam was feeling bored. It was rare that he had these moments completely to himself and, though he had thought he craved peace and quiet, he found himself restless without anything to do. 

So, obviously, he set off to find Ronan. 

It took about twenty minutes of meandering the fields of the Barns before he finally found him. He was in a large barn back behind the house, which they were currently convert into a guest house for when the Ganseys or Lynch brothers visited. They’d had contractors help out with adding a bathroom last week, so now all that was left was to finish the flooring, painting, and of course, adding furniture. 

Ronan was currently kneeling on the floor in the centering of the room as he installed the vinyl hardwood flooring panels. His shirt was off (of course — it was sweltering, per usual) and his jeans hung low on his hips. Adam smirked, watching from the doorway as Ronan wiped the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. 

“Hey there, handsome,” Adam teased, finally heading inside. Ronan’s head whipped around to see him, a smile blooming on his face at the sight of him. “How’s it going in here?” Adam asked, kneeling down beside him and pressing a soft kiss against his lips. 

“Not too bad. Enjoying your day off?” he asked, now on all fours, pressing another piece of flooring against the ground. 

“Mmm—hmm,” Adam nodded, pressing a kiss against the small of Ronan’s back. 

“Come on, Parrish,” Ronan laughed, twisting his head back to look at him. “I have to finish this floor before the kids get home.” He resumed working on the flooring, though Adam continued to kiss a trail up his back. 

“It’s only eleven,” Adam whispered. “We have hours.” 

Ronan grumbled, the sound deep in his throat, but didn’t budge. “I also have to check on the animals, fold laundry, and make dinner,” he protested. 

Adam was now wrapping his arms around Ronan’s torso, his lips working a spot on Ronan’s neck he loves. “I can help with that…” 

“You, doing chores? Damn, Parrish, you must be really bored,” Ronan chuckled, deliberately picking up another tile, though Adam could tell he was starting to lose interest in his task. 

“Yeah, I am,” Adam agreed, now biting at Ronan’s ear. “And since this is my day off, it’s only fair I get to do what I want to do, yeah?” 

Adam was now practically under Ronan, covering up the spot of floor in front of him, his arms tangled around his neck and lips dangerously close. Ronan placed a gentle kiss against his lips, finally resigning to the fact that Adam would not stop bothering him. “And what do you want to do?” Ronan whispered, raising his eyebrows, their noses touching. 

Adam rolled his eyes at the question (since they both knew the answer) but replied anyway, “You.” 

Let’s just say, the floor did not get finished, but Adam’s day off was quite wonderful indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea how vinyl flooring works but I TRIED!
> 
> Send me requests @alteridemlynch on tumblr


	6. hug me right now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: "holding everything in doesnt help you, you know" "you you dont hug me right now i think i might fall apart" trk, pre epilogue post death/demon/unmaking cuz that shit needs to be addressed and shown yo 😬😭

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: i have not read TRK in a long long time (and my recollection of it is definitely blurred by other fic I’ve read) so bare with me on the details/accuracy of this.

Adam awoke in the middle of the night to find the other half of his small bed empty, despite having fallen asleep with Ronen beside him. This wasn’t unusual—both Adam waking up alone and Ronan sleeping over—but it still unnerved Adam. He swiped his hair out of his eyes, slid into a pair of sweatpants, and headed downstairs. 

Ronan was sitting at the bottom of the steps, his black hoodie pulled tight over his head, making him blend into the darkness. He didn’t say anything as Adam came down the steps, but wordlessly scooted over a few inches to make room for him on the same stair. 

Adam sat down beside him and rested his head against his shoulder. “Nightmare?” he asked, though the question was pointless. Of course it was nightmare--with Ronan, it was almost always a nightmare. Especially now, after everything. Adam had been having them too, but his nightmares were less dangerous, as they only existed in his mind. Ronan’s nightmares were ravenous, monstrous things that he had to fight to keep from sneaking into the real world. 

Ronan nodded, Adam feeling the movement against him. “Do you want to talk about it?” Adam asked, another pointless question. Ronan never wanted to talk about it. He didn’t know how to. He shook his head. 

Normally, this is where Adam would place a gentle kiss on his cheek and urge him softly to come back to bed, to curl their bodies against each other and try to fall back asleep. But Adam didn’t want to do that. He was tired of seeing Ronan this way—of seeing him in such pain, such agony—and not being able to help. “Holding everything in doesn’t help, you know,” Adam whispered, sitting up and wrapping his fingers around Ronan’s. Ronan continued looking straight ahead, but Adam kept talking. “I know it’s hard, but we have to talk about this, Ro. You need to be able to sleep through the night. It’s not healthy and it’s scaring me,” Adam admitted. 

Their relationship was so, so new and fragile. Not their love for each other, that was strong and sturdy, but the circumstances of their lives, the madness of it all, of the past week, were shaky. Their best friend had died, then come back to life, but only because their other friend disappeared forever. And Adam had almost killed Ronan. 

Adam had almost killed Ronan. 

The thought sent a shiver through Adam’s body, even now, with his body in his control and Ronan, alive, by his side. 

“How can I help?” Adam murmured, squeezing his hand. 

Ronan, having been silent this entire time, finally opened his mouth to let out a long, shaky breath. Then, his eyes glossy and his voice cracking, he finally spoke: “If you don’t hug me right now, I think I might fall apart.”

With the words finally out, so tender and open, Ronan collapsed into Adam’s arms, openly crying, tired of holding it together. Adam held him close, stroking his back, running his hands over his head, placing gentle kisses on his forehead. “I’m here,” Adam assured him. “I’m here, Ronan.” And he was, and would always be.


	7. Stay Like This Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: fluff for after the angsty shit lolol "can we stay like this forever" 😍

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not a lot of angst and also very short, but hopefully still enjoyable!

Ronan sighed happily, rolling off of Adam and flopping onto the pillow beside him. Despite their sweaty bodies and the grueling Henrietta summer haet, Adam curled into him, wrapping his arms and legs around Ronan in a koala-like fashion. Ronan hummed contently. 

They had fought earlier--about Ronan offering to buy Adam a new phone--and hadn’t talked all afternoon. But after apologetic look from Ronan at dinner, Adam had forgiven him (of course) and they had made up for their angry words and stupid arguments the best way they knew how: in bed. 

Now, they cuddled close against each other, breath slowing and heart rates steadying, it was all forgotten. All that mattered was skin against skin and the soft hum of the crickets outside. “Can we stay like this forever?” Adam murmured, pressing the words against Ronan’s chest. 

“I definitely prefer this to screaming at each other about the cost of iPhones,” Ronan teased and Adam smacked him playfully. Ronan ran his fingers through Adam’s hair as Adam ran his up and down Ronan’s torso. 

“Me, too,” Adam agreed. “Though the few minutes before this were also pretty great.”

Ronan laughed--the kind of laugh reserved just for Adam, open and intimate. “Yeah, definitely comparable to this moment.” 

The two were quiet for a while, their bodies finally calming down and growing tired. Adam’s eyes drifted shut and Ronan thought he might be asleep. But after a moment, he said, “But I like this better,” Adam mumbled.

“Yeah, me too, Parrish. Me too.”


	8. family camping trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from @kristaa on tumblr: opal's adam + ronan's 4 year old daughter, and adam suggests to ronan to go camping and it's honestly just full of fluff and cute family shtuff.

As Ronan finished his shower he could hear the sound of the gravel crunching under tires. He toweled off and walked over to the bedroom window to peak below. The BMW was parked out front and Ronan could see two figures still inside of it.

He quickly got dressed (in his staple black tee and jeans) and pounded down the stairs to meet them at the door, opening it just as they stepped on the front porch

“Daddy!” Opal squealed immediately, jumping up into Ronan’s arms in a koala-style hug. Ronan squeezed her tightly back, smiling at Adam as he stepped inside, setting down his briefcase and Opal’s bright pink backpack.

“Hey, runt,” Ronan said, kissing the soft blondecurls on her head. “Good day at school?”

Opal nodded enthusiastically before jumping down. “Shoes off,” Adam reminded her before she could run off, kicking off his own. She plopped down on the floor and got to work on the Velcro straps.

“Hi,” Ronan smiled, leaning over Opal’s small body to kiss Adam gently. “Dinner’s still in the oven but should be ready soon.”

“Thanks,” Adam smiled, shrugging out of his suit jacket and laying it carefully across a chair.

“Can I go play until dinner?” Opal asked, looking up at her parents excitedly, her wide blue eyes practically jumping out of their sockets expectedly.

“Sure, kiddo, but just for a few minutes,” Adam said, giving her a gentle pat on her back, nudging her in the direction of the living-room-turned-playroom. She ran off excitedly, reaching instantly for a race car Declan had gotten her for her recent birthday.

“Her teachers say anything new?” Ronan asked, heading into the kitchen. Adam followed him, sitting down tiredly at the table.

Opal had been having a hard time in pre-k. She struggled with staying still for long periods of time, having grown up on a farm, running around with her dads and the animals. She was a fairly wild kid who didn’t like to be told what to do. “No, just that it will take some time. She didn’t have any outbursts today, though, so I guess that’s good? Just a bit fidgety and unfocused like usual.”

Ronan modded, taking a deep breath, leaning against the sink. “Somehow she magically got my genes when it comes to school.”

Adam laughed ruefully. “She’ll learn, Ro. She’s young. And she’s trying really hard; that’s what matters.” Ronan shrugged, knowing Adam was right, and turned to the oven to remove the chicken and vegetables he’d been roasting. Adam moved to the cabinet to set the table, and the two quietly and contently got ready for dinner.

When they were finally eating, the food incredible per usual, Adam carefully set his silverware down and cleared his throat. “I have an idea.”

Opal’s eyebrows shot up; Ronan quirked one of his. “What, Dad?” the little girl asked around a piece of chicken still in her mouth, the words coming out garbled.

“Well, I’m thinking, since you’ve been working so hard in school to focus and sit still, we should go on a little trip to celebrate?”

Ronan shot him a look that said _, “Where are you going with this, Parrish?”_ It’s not like they could just drop everything and go on vacation—Adam has cases to work on and Ronan had the farm to tend to. Plus, taking Opal out of school to reward her for school seemed a bit backwards.

But Opal’s eyes were gleaming wide. “Wherewherewhereeee??” She repeated.

“Well nothing big, but maybe we could go camping this weekend? Get away, go on a hike, make s’mores?”Adam suggested, raising his eyebrows at Ronan.

It was a good idea—a great one actually—but Ronan was hesitant. They hadn’t been camping since before Opal was adopted, and she was still a bit young. She loved the outdoors (probably more than either Adam or him) but she’s never spent the night outside. What if she had a tantrum and wanted her bed? And all her toys?

Opal was practically jumping in her seat excitedly, hanging her fork on her plate, chanting “camping” over and over again.

“Ronan,” Adam said softly, gesturing at Opal to pause her chant. She surprisingly listened, going quiet and continuing to eat. “Just one night. We don’t have to drive too far - just 30, 40 minutes away - and can come back if we need to. But I think it will be good for her. And us.” Adam smiled warmly at him.

He couldn’t argue with that; there was nothing Ronan wanted more than time spent with Adam and Opal. “Okay,” he agreed, somewhat aggressively biting a carrot off his fork. “But we’re getting nice camping gear. None of the old shit from four years,” he grumbled.

Adam just nodded, a smile on his lips.

———

Friday after work and school and animals being fed, the Lynch family loaded up the BMW with brand new camping equipment: a large tent (dreamt), sleeping bags (dreamt), backpacks (purchased), water bottles (purchased), food (purchased) and miniature always-cold cooler (dreamt of course).

Adam had done some research and found a nearby camping ground that was supposedly easily accessible and family friendly. The last time they went camping had been anything but child friendly — Gansey had almost broken his leg attempting to climb the trail they were hiking. But this one looked good and they were all excited. Opal was wearing her big clunky rain boots, even though the weather promised no rain.

Ronan drove (of course) while they all sang along to the Frozen 2 Soundtrack (because Opal was obsessed, and Ronan secretly was too).Adam rested his hand on Ronan’s thigh the whole drive, rubbing gentle circles. It was nice, even with Olaf’s voice booming through the speakers.

When they got to the camp site, they gathered their things, with Adam and Ronan shouldering hefty backpacks and Opal carrying a small satchel, mostly fully of snacks and tiny dolls.

They walked through the woods for nearly an hour. It was mostly flat ground (thankfully) but there were a few tricky spots. “Daddy! Help Me,” Opal cried when her leggings snagged on a stray twig. Ronan smiled as he unfastened the fabric and she bolted forward to catch up with Adam.

For the last 15 minutes, when Opal was exhausted, Adam and Ronan alternated carrying her, which was much harder than either had anticipated with the added weight of their heavy backpacks.

But they finally, finally reached a nice clearing. Opal collapsed on the ground, her head rolling back and forth as she felt the grass tickle against her skin.Adam took out his phone and took a picture to send to Blue and Gansey.“You like it, runt?” Ronan smiled.

Opal cheered enthusiastically before closing her eyes, soaking in the warm sun. “Help us set up the tent, O,” Adam suggested. “Then we can have lunch.”

“No need, Parrish,” Ronan said, grabbing a long thin bag and pulling tent poles out of it. “This tent sets itself up.”

Adam raised his eyebrows. Opal sat up, always excited to see how dream things work, even if she was too youngto really understand the true magic of them. Ronan took the bundle of poles and tossed them onto the ground. From there, they all watched, enchanted, as the poles magically unfolded on their own, fabric coming out of thin air to fill the space between them. The poles and fabric twisted and turned in the air and, in a matter of seconds, a huge, glorious tent was assembled in front of them. “That was AWESOME!” Opal squealed, immediately heading inside to check it out.

“Couldn’t have dreamt up a normal tent?” Adam laughed, stepping over to Ronan and placing a hand on his hip. “You know, teach her about working hard and building something together?”

“Real tents are a pain in the ass to put together. And they aren’t fully water proof, sound proof, bug proof, or bear proof,” Ronan smiled.

“Bear proof?”

“I’m not letting our daughter get attacked by a bear,” Ronan defended, his lips twisted in a playful smile.

Adam just shook his head and placed a kiss on Ronan’s cheek, making Ronan blush.“The bug-proofing was a smart idea, though. God knows Opal would try to bring spiders inside to sleep next to her.” Ronan nodded in agreement—their daughter had an absurd fascination with insects—and gestured for Adam to follow him inside the tent.

——

After placing their belongings safely inside the tent, eating their lunches (sandwiches they had made the night before), and taking a brief rest, the three of them sat on the grass playing Uno, Opal’s favorite. Adam tried to explain that camping wasn’t _really_ about doing things you could do at home, but Opal was hard to say no too with her almost cartoonish eyes and pouty lips.

When the sun began to set, Ronan enlisted Opal to find sticks (something she oddly _loved_ ) to help build a fire while Adam unloaded dinner materials from the cooler. Ronan showed Opal how to start a fire—“ _she really shouldn’t be learning that, Lynch…”_ —and Opal watched in amazement as the wood sparked and the flames grew and grew until they engulfed the entirety of the pile. Once the fire grew (and Opal was a safe distance away), Adam handed out hot dogs skewered on sticks. They cooked them over the fire and then loaded them onto fluffy buns, squeezing packets of condiments stolen from their last fast-food outing on top. They ate them on a large picnic blanket with giddy smiles on their faces. They had fresh berries from the farm too, still icy cold from the cooler, and Ronan kissed the purple juice off of Adam’s lips happily.

After dinner, they went on a short walk, the woods quiet and peaceful as the stars came out. When they came back, they made s’mores, and Opal giggled as Adam wiped the gooey marshmallow off her face with a wipe. “Okay, bedtime, cutie,” Ronan said, licking chocolate off his fingers.

“But I want to keep camping!” she argued.

“You are still camping,” Adam smiled. “Sleeping in the tent is _part_ of the camping experience.”

Opal didn’t seem quite convinced, but she stood up anyway and went inside the tent. The men followed her inside, helping her change into her pajamas and slip into the sleeping bag. “So soft,” she mumbled tiredly. The sleeping bags were insanely comfortable, and always the perfect temperature, thanks to Ronan’s genius. Opal curled into, her eyes almost immediately fluttering shut. “Goodnight, princess,” Adam said, kissing her forehead and brushing her hair away softly.

“Night, Dad,” she whispered.

“We’re gonna stay up for a little bit, but we’ll be in here son, okay?” Ronan told her softly before kissing her nose. She nodded, clutching her stuffed bear tightly, and let her eyes close fully.

Ronan and Adam crept quietly out of the tent, zipping the little door way shut. Ronan pulled Adam against him by the waist, pressing their foreheads together. “Good idea, Parrish,” Ronan said.

“Mhm.” Adam brushed his lips against Ronans, gently, just barely there. “Nice to have some family time.”

Ronan kissed him again, this time opening his mouth, kissing him fully, deeply. Adam tangled his arms around Ronan’s neck, pressing against him more. Ronan’s hands slid under Adam’s t-shirt, pressing flat against his stomach. “You mentioned something about the tent being sound-proof?” Adam whispered seductively in Ronan’s ear.

In response, Ronan sat down on the blanket and pulled Adam down with him, falling onto his back so Adam was on top of him.

They kissed each other to the sounds of crickets and only starlight illuminating their bodies pressed against each other.

It was a wonderful, wonderful camping trip.


End file.
